Breakdown of Kapağı reddettik çünkü üzerinde çalıştığımız satırları beğenmedik.
çalışmak
to work / to study
çünkü
because
beğenmek
to like, to admire
reddetmek
to reject, to decline
üzerinde
on (top of); about
kapak
cover (lid, book cover)
satır
line (of text)
Questions & Answers about Kapağı reddettik çünkü üzerinde çalıştığımız satırları beğenmedik.
How does üzerinde çalıştığımız satırları break down to mean "the lines we worked on"?
This uses a postpositional relative clause, which is the focus of this lesson. Instead of using a relative pronoun like "which" as in English, Turkish takes the postposition üzerinde (on it) and pairs it with the -dIk participle form of the verb. Here, çalış (work) becomes çalıştığımız (our working). Together, they modify satırları (the lines), giving us a literal structure of "its-on our-worked lines."
Why do both kapağı and satırları take the accusative case here?
Both words are the specific direct objects of their respective verbs. Kapak (the cover) is the specific item being rejected (reddettik), so it takes the accusative suffix and undergoes consonant mutation to become kapağı. Similarly, satırlar (the lines) is the specific thing we didn't like (beğenmedik), making it satırları.
Why is there a double "d" in reddettik?
The verb reddetmek (to reject) is formed by combining the noun ret (rejection) with the auxiliary verb etmek (to do). Because ret is an Arabic loanword, its final consonant both voices (changes from t to d) and doubles when it merges with an auxiliary verb starting with a vowel. We then add the past tense -ti and the first-person plural ending -k.
Could we use satırları to talk about lines drawn in a sketch?
No, satır specifically refers to a line of text, such as in a book, a script, or lines of code. If you were talking about physical lines drawn on paper or in a design, you would use çizgi (or çizgileri). If you meant a line of people waiting, you would use sıra.
Learn Kapağı reddettik çünkü üzerinde çalıştığımız satırları beğenmedik and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free